August Fever
by Spencer B. Beavcoon
Summary: In the middle of the hottest summer Steel City has seen yet, Garth falls sick, too weak to find help. What will happen when Roy finds him? OCs mentioned as supporting characters. [ALxSP if you really, REALLY squint.]


_**August 9**__**th**__**, 5:26 AM**_

A sharp pain. Chills. Cold sweat beading off of his clammy skin. The sticky dampness of his tangled black hair clinging to the back of his neck. Why was it so hot? He swore he'd cranked up the swamp cooler. It should be cool and humid in his room. Not _hot_ and humid. Garth opened his tired eyes a fraction, the sun was just barely coming up over the lake, its grey-gold light reflecting off the water's surface. Suddenly his stomach reels once again and he feels the strong urge to vomit. Despite the intense pain in his head upon shooting upright, he staggers into his private bathroom and jettisons what little food was left undigested from the previous night's meal.

_**August 9**__**th**__**, 7:25 AM**_

Roy Harper's alarm clock goes off for the third time as he fruitlessly tries to ignore the _increasingly_ annoying sound it makes every time he hits the snooze button and sleep for a few more minutes. Eventually, he realizes that resistance is futile and shuts the alarm off at 7:30.

He lays there, staring at the ceiling, for another five minutes. During that time, while his brain begins to function, he contemplates throwing the alarm clock off the nightstand tomorrow.

By 7:36 he gets up and walks into the bathroom, relieving the stress on his bladder before quickly running a comb through his hair to knock his bedhead down some. He then takes a moment to stretch before heading down for breakfast.

_**August 9**__**th**__**, 7:45 AM**_

The heat radiating off the bed is intense, or is it him? It doesn't matter, it won't dissipate either way. The ill atlantean cracks his eyes open once more, staring blankly at the discarded t-shirt on the floor. The shirt went first because it clung to his sweaty frame, then he kicked the blankets off in an attempt to stay cool. Neither worked. Now he lies in a feverish stupor, limbs twisted up in his thin top sheet. As a momentary wave of nausea passes, Garth drifts in and out of his coherent state, eventually succumbing to the comforting lull of sleep.

_**August 9**__**th**__**, 8:01 AM**_

Roy pulls his shorts up slightly as he comes down the hallway into the main room, yawning rather loudly as he enters the sitting area. As per usual, the twins are up at the crack of dawn helping each other make breakfast. RR is on the front terrace doing yoga, and he can't help but stare for a moment. What that Hailey chick lacks in skill she makes up for in cuteness ten-fold. Strangely enough, he finds Kid Flash, sans costume, passed out on the couch. RR must've let him in.

Brimstone is nowhere to be found. She probably left for the market. Suddenly the ginger archer has a feeling that he won't be getting coffee this morning. He's feeling a little more alert by now and decides to pester Roadrunner. Roy opens the see-through door to the deck and creeps up behind the tawny-haired speedster. He grabs one of her earbuds and places it in his own ear.

"What the heck is that birdy?" '_Chad Valley. Nice.' _He thinks. Suddenly she yanks the headphone out of his ear and turns around with a sneer.

"Get your own headphones Red!" She snaps at him. He smirks and kisses her on the cheek.

"Don't you have a girlfriend?" She crosses her arms in annoyance.

"Maybe. But it doesn't mean I can't spy on you." He says with a wink.

"Ugh..Creep!" Roy chuckles then makes his way back inside where he can smell bell pepper and ham cooking. _'I see Mas and Menos are making omelets again. I hate the smell of bell peppers.'_

"Hey. Hey, Kid Lazy! Wake up!" Wally mumbled something about Roy messing his name up but refused to move.

"You're in my seat Bolt." The red-headed speedster's emerald eyes snapped open almost immediately at the sound of the angry voice. He jumped off the couch and ran onto the terrace with Hailey.

"Look who finally came out of the hive this morning."

"Can it archer. I am _not_ in a teasing mood today." Karen tied her hair back into her signature pigtails.

"Geez Bee, can't you take a joke?"

"Not this early in the morning." She sneered, giving Roy the evil eye.

"Where's Fish-boy?" The girl asks while pouring a glass of orange juice.

"Dunno, haven't seen him yet. He's usually out there with Feathers meditating."

"Well go find him then! Check the pool downstairs, check the terrace, check the roof if you have to! And Wally….GET OUT OF MY SEAT!" The pajama-clad speedster squealed and bolted towards the elevator and away from the angry Titan.


End file.
